1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of automatic animal feeding devices, and more particularly to a device that delivers animal food for consumption at pre-determined intervals and in pre-measured amounts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic animal feeding devices are well known in the art. However, some of these prior art devices provide food continuously or upon demand allowing the animal to gorge itself continuously. Other devices solve this problem by employing a delivery mechanism which may be operated at timed intervals so that food is not continuously available. However, the devices of this type employ cumbersome, complicated and often noisy mechanisms which therefore are not reliable and further will scare away the animals to be feed.
Still other devices known in the art are designed for a unique type of animal or animals and therefore are not devices of general application.
Finally, it is often desirable, for diet or medical reasons, that an animal receive specific amounts of food at certain intervals. The devices of the prior art, due to their design may not be able to repeatedly deliver food in such specific pre-determined amounts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an animal feeding device which will automatically provide a specific amount of feed at pre-determined intervals.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal feeding device that will reliably and repeatably provide food for an animal.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an animal feeding device which protects the food prior to dispensing and prevents access thereto by an animal prior to the pre-determined time of feeding.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent for the following specifications, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.